Penne (10-1) established her jab early in the fight with Sugiyama (8-1), who kicked at Penne’s legs from a distance and tried to overcome a significant reach disadvantage. Penne countered one of the kicks by throwing her Japanese foe to the mat, but she was unable to escape Sugiyama’s half-guard. Sugiyama eventually battled back to her feet, and both fighters landed punches and knees to the body in the final minute.

The second round was similar to the first, and Sugiyama continued to kick at Penne’s lead leg. Penne countered with punches and more knees from the clinch. She exploited her strength advantage by pulling Sugiyama to the ground from a Thai clinch. Sugiyama wound up on top, but Penne quickly framed up a triangle choke from her back. She tightened the choke, and Sugiyama was forced to submit for the first time in her career at the 2:20 mark of Round 2.

The title-winning submission was the culmination of six years of hard work for Penne, who struggled to find opponents prior to her Invicta FC debut in April. As the new Invicta FC atomweight champion, Penne knows that she has a target on her back, but she is excited at the prospect of having a steady stream of title challengers in the coming year.

Penne is a perfect 3-0 since dropping down to 105 pounds.

Bantamweights Baszler, Smith shine at Invicta FC 3

Veteran submission specialist Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-7) posted her fifth win in her past six fights in the Invicta FC 3 co-headkiner. Baszler forced Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (6-3) to tap out to a rear-naked choke at the 37-second mark of Round 2.

Baszler took down D’Alelio in the opening round and transitioned from side control to D’Alelio’s back. She worked to secure a rear-naked choke and later tried to set up her signature twister submission, but D’Alelio’s defense was solid. Baszler abandoned the submission attempts in favor of stomps to the back of D’Alelio’s leg and foot and punches to the face before the bell.

D’Alelio slipped to the mat while throwing a looping right hook in Round 2, and Baszler immediately took advantage with punches from top position. D’Alelio gave up her back, and this time Baszler was able to sink in the rear-naked choke for an impressive victory. The win got Baszler back on track after a contentious decision loss at Invicta FC 2 in July.

In a highly anticipated rematch from the debut Invicta FC card in April, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (4-2-1) earned the biggest victory of her career by stopping Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) with punches at the 2:19 mark of the second round. Smith and Young previously fought to a split draw at Invicta FC 1.

Both fighters landed some solid punches and kicks early in Round 1. Young secured a Thai clinch and landed knees to the body, but Smith was game and countered nicely with punches over the top. She took down Young after catching a kick but had to act quickly to escape an armbar attempt and an inverted0triangle choke from Young, who remained active from the bottom. The round appeared to belong to Young until the final minute, when Smith postured up with punches and elbows and threatened with a rear-naked choke at the bell.

The fighters exchanged strikes on the feet in Round 2 until Young clinched. Smith countered a body lock by rolling for a kneebar and used it to sweep into top position. After escaping an armbar attempt, Smith passed to side control and pinned down Young’s arm. From the top-side crucifix, Smith rained down right hands until referee Rob Hinds stopped the fight.

Having settled the score with Young, Smith has positioned herself as a potential contender for an Invicta FC bantamweight title next year. However, Smith told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following her fight that her immediate future may lie in the flyweight division. Smith sees new challenges at 125 pounds and has a goal of one day holding titles in two different weight classes.

Honchak, Porto victorious in Invicta FC 3 flyweight-contender bouts

For the sixth straight time, Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (7-2) had her hand raised in victory. Honchak outpointed Irish standout Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (13-4) across three rounds at Invicta 3 to take a well-deserved unanimous-decision victory. Scores were 30-27 thrice.

Honchak maintained an edge in the striking exchanges with crisp punching combinations and knees. Daly landed some quick flurries of her own and later dragged Honchak to the ground with a pair of kimura attempts. Honchak escaped on both occasions and worked for a rear-naked choke in Round 2. She controlled the fight with punches on the feet and on the ground in the final round and left no doubt in the judges’ minds.

Honchak’s next fight may be for the inaugural Invicta FC flyweight championship. Her likely opponent, Vanessa Porto (15-5), earned a lopsided unanimous decision victory over veteran Tara LaRosa (21-3) on the Invicta FC 3 main card. Scores were 30-27 across the board.

Porto wisely kept the fight with LaRosa on the feet throughout. She rocked LaRosa on multiple occasions with big right hooks and systematically picked her apart with leg kicks that left LaRosa unsteady on her feet by Round 3. LaRosa tried her best to take Porto down, but the long-time Brazilian contender stuffed each attempt and cruised to the decision victory.

A date has not yet been announced for the tentative bout between Honchak and Porto, but the talented fighters will likely face off for the inaugural Invicta flyweight title sometime in early 2013.

Five fighters pocket bonuses at Invicta FC 3

Popular atomweight star Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) and Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (7-6) each took home an extra $1,500 for their “Fight of the Night” bout at Invicta FC 3. Waterson emerged victorious via a razor-thin split decision after three action-packed rounds that were contested primarily on the ground.

Schuckman started strong in the opening round and had Waterson in some trouble with rear-naked choke and keylock attempts. Waterson defended well and began to take over in Round 2 with punches and hammerfists from the top. The fighters exchanged kicks in Round 3 until Schuckman took Waterson down, but Waterson swept into mount and closed out the round with more kicks on the feet. The late rally was enough to steal back the fight, and two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Waterson. A third had it 29-28 for Schuckman.

“Knockout of the Night” honors went to unbeaten Scottish striker Joanne Calderwood (4-0), who handed Ashley “Smashley” Cummins (3-1) the first defeat of her MMA career via a vicious knee to the body at the 3:13 mark of Round 1. Calderwood’s first punch of the fight broke three bones below Cummins’ right eye and left her seeing double. She tried to clinch to buy time to recover, but Calderwood circled out and landed a knee to the ribs that dropped Cummins like a rock. The bout was immediately waved off, and Calderwood earned an extra $1,000 for the KO.

“Submission of the Night” honors were split between prospects Stephanie “Macaquinha” Frausto (4-4) and Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0), who each received $500. Frausto needed just 48 seconds to submit Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis (3-4) with a guillotine choke. Duke survived an inadvertent hair pull and a barrage of punches from opponent Marciea “Black Widow” Allen (1-1) and made a swift transition to a fight-ending armbar at the 4:42 mark of Round 1.

Zingano, Budd and Esparza earn stoppage wins at Invicta FC 3

After her Strikeforce debut was scrapped this past month, “Alpha” Cat Zingano (7-0) took out her frustrations on bantamweight prospect Raquel “Rocky” Pennington (3-2) in a featured matchup at Invicta FC 3. Zingano landed countless knees to the body before securing a fight-ending rear-naked choke at the 3:32 mark of the second stanza. The bout marked Zingano’s return to the bantamweight division and was her first fight since May 2011.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) once again showcased her vicious ground and pound in stopping late-replacement opponent Danielle “The Honey Badger” West (4-4-1) in a featherweight bout that kicked off the main card. Budd took down West and pummeled her with punches and elbows for the TKO win at the 2:32 mark of Round 1. She has won back-to-back fights.

Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (8-2) made short work of fellow Bellator veteran Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez (5-3), who was returning after a two-year hiatus from competition. Esparza used a quick double-leg to get Alvarez down to the mat and landed punches from mount and back control until the fight was finally waved off at the 2:53 mark of Round 1. Esparza will likely move on to contend for the inaugural Invicta FC strawweight title next year.

In other action on the Invicta FC 3 card, top-ranked amateur prospect Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (1-0) made a successful pro debut with a clear-cut unanimous-decision victory over fellow three-time amateur champion Kaiyana Rain (0-1). Torres outlanded Rain for the better part of three rounds en route to the decision win with a trio of 30-27 scorecards.

Brazilian veteran Ediene “India” Gomes (9-2) kicked off Invicta FC 3 with a first-round submission win over hard-hitting knockout artist Katalina Malungahu (2-1). Gomes weathered the early storm from Malungahu and took the fight to the ground, where she forced Malungahu to submit to a rear-naked choke at the 4:19 mark of Round 1.

Ould dominated the first two rounds with dozens of punches from top position after taking down Holland. Save for a pair of triangle choke attempts from Holland, Ould was in complete control through 10 minutes. Round 3 was Holland’s best, and she managed to land some hard right hooks on the feet before Ould took her back down. From there, it was all Ould, and she stayed active with punches until the final bell.

Ould has tasted defeat just one time in her past nine fights. That loss came in a May 2010 bout with Bellator champion Zoila Frausto Gurgel, and both fighters have expressed interest in a rematch. The bout will have to wait, however, as Ould suffered a broken hand in the first round of her Bellator debut against Holland.

Bagherdai stops Maloy at XFC 20

In her return to the flyweight division, Sofia Bagherdai (5-2) made a successful XFC debut with a first-round TKO triumph over Sarah “KO Kid” Maloy (3-3) at “Xtreme Fighting Championships 20: High Octane” on Sept. 28 in Knoxville, Tenn. Bagherdai reversed a takedown in the opening round and rained down punches and elbows for the stoppage at the 4:01 mark.

It was Maloy who opened the fight with aggressive striking on the feet, but Bagherdai landed some crisp counterpunches and kicks before taking the fight to the mat. She moved from side control to mount and punished Maloy with punches. Maloy briefly scrambled back to guard, but Bagherdai returned to mount and finished the fight with more strikes as Maloy turtled.

The victory was Bagherdai’s first since a decision win in October 2008. She took a lengthy break from competition and made her return to action at Invicta FC 1 in April.

Quick results

Yuka “Vale Tudo Queen” Tsuji (24-3) def. Hyo Kyung Song (0-1) via technical submission (armbar) at the 1:27 mark of Round 1 at “DEEP: Osaka Impact 2012” on Sept. 29 in Osaka, Japan. Tsuji took down her overmatched opponent early in the fight and worked for a reverse triangle choke from back control before locking on the armbar that prompted Song’s corner to throw in the towel. The win got Tsuji back on track after a May loss to Ayaka Hamasaki.

Annalisa “No Fear” Bucci (3-2) def. Lenka Smetankova (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:37 mark of Round 1 at MMAA Arena on Sept. 30 in Prague, Czech Republic. Bucci scored a takedown early in the second round and teed off with punches from mount until the fight was waved off. She has posted wins in each of her past two fights.

Brenda “Boom Boom” Gonzales (3-0) def. Sarah “Too Sweet” Alpar (3-2) via unanimous decision after five rounds at “King of the Cage: Stranglehold” on Oct. 6 in Thackerville, Okla. The victory earned Gonzales the KOTC 125-pound women’s title. She has won all three of her pro fights under the KOTC banner with two coming by way of TKO.

Upcoming fights

Sanja Sucevic (3-1) faces Irene “La Nina” Cabello (1-1) at Super Fight League 4 on Oct. 12 in Mumbai, India. Sucevic scored her biggest win to date at SFL 1 in March when she submitted the previously unbeaten Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova. The 19-year-old Cabello is coming off of a second-round submission victory in July.

Karla Benitez (6-3) faces Emma Watson (3-2) at Hombres de Honor 45 on Oct. 12 in Madrid. Benitez looks to get back on the winning track after suffering setbacks against high-level opposition in each of her past three fights. England’s Watson is coming off of an 11-second TKO win on the all-female Women Fight Back card in August.

Darla “Train Wreck” Harris (3-0) faces Diana “Dynamite” Rael (3-3) at Made For War 1 on Oct. 13 in Castle Rock, Colo. Harris has won all three of her fights since making her pro debut with an upset victory over Jennifer Moran in October 2011. She could enter the top 10 at 105 pounds with a win over Rael, who is a former top prospect now looking to rebound from submission setbacks to Michelle Waterson and Stephanie Frausto.

Glena “Heartless” Avila (2-0) faces late replacement Emily Peters-Kagan (1-0) at “Dakota FC 13: Coming Home” on Oct. 13 in Grand Forks, N.D. Avila has yet to taste defeat in any of her eight amateur or pro fights to date. She has secured armbar finishes in both pro bouts. Peters-Kagan steps in for an injured Jordan Nicole Gaza and looks to follow up on her successful pro debut this past month at Jackson’s MMA Series 9.

Julia Berezikova (6-3) faces Colleen “The Beautiful Disaster” Schneider (2-4) at Super Fight League 5 on Oct. 19 in Mumbai, India. Berezikova is currently riding a five-fight winning streak and has risen back up the ranks since making her return to competition this past November. Schneider returns to SFL for the first time since her impressive second-round TKO victory on the promotion’s second card in April.

Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt (3-1) faces late replacement Hanaa Storm (0-0) at Nitro 7 on Oct. 20 in Queensland, Australia. Hyatt has won three straight fights since suffering a vicious knockout loss in her pro debut. Storm, an Egyptian kung fu champion, steps into the fight on short notice after her teammate Samia Salim was forced to withdraw.

Charlene “Princess” Gellner (0-2) faces Brianna “Tha Bull” VanBuren (0-0) at “Rogue Fights 20: Fists of Fire” on Oct. 20 in Redding, Calif. Strikeforce veteran Gellner remains in search of her first victory as a professional. VanBuren makes her pro debut after a 4-0 run as an amateur.

Tyra Parker (1-2) faces Trisha Clark (2-5) at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 50 on Oct. 20 in Duluth, Ga. Parker has yet to see the second round in her pro career and returns to action for the first time since scoring a 55-second submission win in June 2010. Clark snapped her five-fight losing streak with a decision win in January.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every other Monday. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.

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